Name: Ryan Ellison's review of The Psychopath Test by Ronson, Jon
Item: The Psychopath Test
Rating: 4
Author: Ryan Ellison

Ronson, Jon

The Psychopath Test

They say one out of every hundred people is a psychopath. You probably passed one on the street today. These are people who have no empathy, who are manipulative, deceitful, charming, seductive, and delusional. The Psychopath Test is the New York Times bestselling exploration of their world and the madness industry. When Jon Ronson is drawn into an elaborate hoax played on some of the world's top scientists, his investigation leads him, unexpectedly, to psychopaths. He meets an influential psychologist who is convinced that many important business leaders and politicians are in fact high-flying, high-functioning psychopaths, and teaches Ronson how to spot them. Armed with these new abilities, Ronson meets a patient inside an asylum for the criminally insane who insists that he's sane, a mere run-of-the-mill troubled youth, not a psychopath—a claim that might be only manipulation, and a sign of his psychopathy. He spends time with a death-squad leader institutionalized for mortgage fraud, and with a legendary CEO who took joy in shutting down factories and firing people. He delves into the fascinating history of psychopathy diagnosis and treatments, from LSD-fueled days-long naked therapy sessions in prisons to attempts to understand serial killers. Along the way, Ronson discovers that relatively ordinary people are, more and more, defined by their most insane edges. The Psychopath Test is a fascinating adventure through the minds of madness.

A Journey Through the Madness Industry

Erica England 

Ask a victim to look at the positive things and [they'’ll] say, "I can’t. My eyes are swollen."

There is no evidence that we’ve been placed on this planet to be especially happy or especially normal. And in fact our unhappiness and our strangeness, our anxieties and compulsions, those least fashionable aspects of our personalities, are quite often what lead us to do rather interesting things. 

Elena

This book had been on my to-read list for a number of years, ever since I watched the TED talk that Ronson gave where he spoke about his experiences in researching for the book. I was lucky enough to spot the book in a charity shop whilst on holiday, and promptly began burning through it.

The initial Chapter of the book is a little slow at setting the scene, but I was happy to push through it, and I’m glad that I did, as the subsequent chapters were fascinating. The book follows the author’s own journey into “the world of psychopaths” as he discovers what ruly defies a psychopath, popular and scientific theories surrounding them, and where they may exist in society. All of these different angles are portrayed through case studies of interesting persons and situations, and the wiriting style is generally pretty good. Unfortunatly, I did feel as though the first half of the book is the most interesting part, and I did have to push myself a little to get through the second half. I think for me most of the interesting case studies and interviews were loaded into the first half of the book. The second half took on a more self-reflective note by the author on his own experiences learning about psychopaths. Despite being less interesting, the personal writing style of the author is still very relatable and sympathetic.

Despite the boom peaking a bit early, I would still highly recommend this book as a fascinating read.

Ryan Ellison

This book had been on my to-read list for a number of years, ever since I watched the TED talk that Ronson gave where he spoke about his experiences in researching for the book. I was lucky enough to spot the book in a charity shop whilst on holiday, and promptly began burning through it.

The initial Chapter of the book is a little slow at setting the scene, but I was happy to push through it, and I’m glad that I did, as the subsequent chapters were fascinating. The book follows the author’s own journey into “the world of psychopaths” as he discovers what ruly defies a psychopath, popular and scientific theories surrounding them, and where they may exist in society. All of these different angles are portrayed through case studies of interesting persons and situations, and the wiriting style is generally pretty good. Unfortunatly, I did feel as though the first half of the book is the most interesting part, and I did have to push myself a little to get through the second half. I think for me most of the interesting case studies and interviews were loaded into the first half of the book. The second half took on a more self-reflective note by the author on his own experiences learning about psychopaths. Despite being less interesting, the personal writing style of the author is still very relatable and sympathetic.

Despite the boom peaking a bit early, I would still highly recommend this book as a fascinating read.

VERY COOL AND VERY INFORMATIVE!!!!!! I really like Jon Ronson’s books. Will continue to read more from author.

Patrick Book

One star for all the ways in which this book is terrifying.

A curious insight into the minds of most of our leaders and how they got there. Certainly explains most of my bosses.

Jon Ronson

Traces how the author's investigation into an alleged hoax unexpectedly drew him into the mental-health industry, explaining how an influential psychologist revealed the psychopathic profiles of top CEOs and politicians while imparting strategies for recognizing psychopathic behavior. By the best-selling author of The Men Who Stare at Goats. 35,000 first printing.

Wilde

Brilliant and insightful read. Shows how normal (and entertaining) some psychopaths can be, does help to get rid of the rather sinister stereotype they have.

Colleen

3.5 Stars

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry is supposed to be “a fascinating journey through the minds of madness.” It certainly contained interesting tidbits relating to “madness” but lacked cohesion. Ronson used a hoax that sounded like something out of House of Leaves, Scientology, Psych wards, reality TV, a death squad leader, and more in his exploration of how psychopathy has worked its way into society. 

Most of these were interesting topics, but the book is really just pop psychology. There was no deep exploration of psychopathy, and the book was lacking in verified facts. This was more like a compilation of anecdotal evidence loosely tied to psychopathy. Some of the stories have more to do with general “madness” than specifically with psychopaths. The narrative flits around from topic to topic, but nothing tied it all together. The bottom line was simply that there are psychopaths among us and they can pop up in surprising places. 

One thing that bother me was how often the author humble brags about getting interviews with people who refused everyone else. Congratulations, you got interviews that other journalists were denied. You do not need to remind your readers so often of how excited famous people were to talk to you because they supposedly love your other works and are just dying to give you exclusive interviews. Dial down the narcissism, dude. 

My other gripe is that Ronson flippantly declares that “psychopath” and “sociopath” are completely interchangeable terms with no difference between them. That is false. While it is true that there is much debate surrounding official definitions of those two terms, they are NOT interchangeable. The most boiled down defined difference is that psychopaths are “born” and sociopaths are “made.” So psychopaths are considered to be people who are born lacking the ability to feel empathy or guilt and cannot be taught those traits. Although many are good at pretending they do. (Several questions on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist deal with that.) On the other hand, sociopaths are those who are made by their environment. The most common cause is abuse although certain head injuries can factor in as well. Psychopaths and Sociopaths do often have similar traits involving antisocial disorder, but they are different. By erroneously claiming the two are interchangeable, Ronson eliminated an entire area of discussion. 

This book oversimplifies a complex issue. Psychopathy is not a binary state. It isn’t something you either are or are not. What Ronson touches on, but does not delve into, is that many people (a higher number than you’d care to think about) have psychopathic tendencies. I know from other reading that the main difference between those people and the type of psychopaths that become murders is awareness of guilt and consequences. Someone who scores higher than average on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist may easily be a CEO of an aggressive company who has no qualms about massive layoffs. But that same person is highly unlikely to become a serial killer. The difference is usually less about genuine conscience and more about a self-preservation instinct to avoid punishment. It’s another topic that the book teases but never deeply explores. 

This is an easy read if you want an introductory armchair psychology overview of psychopathy. But if you want in depth research and facts, then this book probably won’t cut it.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Entertainment Level: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
Attention to Details: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 2 Stars
Objectivity: 3 Stars

Beau

One of the most fascinating yet disturbing books I've ever read regarding mental instability. At several points throughout this book I found myself wondering if I was reading something akin to a fantastical horror novel rather than an inquiry on psychopathy. A brilliant exploration of the human mind when things aren't functioning as they should be.

Andrew Louis

Rohan Uddin

The Psychopath Test is a riveting read, full of insight from the "madness industry". Through the author's imaginative style and witty humour, he portrays gruesome tales of the mentally ill in light tones. The first book of Jon Ronson that I read; hopeful for more.

Midori Kobayashi

3.5/5 stars


There is no evidence that we've been placed on this planet to be especially happy or especially normal. And in fact, our unhappiness and our strangeness, our anxieties and compulsions, those least fashionable aspects of our personalities, are quite often what lead us to do rather interesting things.

I am not sure how much I learned about psychopaths from this but it was definitely a fun read. The author is so anxious throughout the book and ykw I relate, yes I do!

If you are planning to read, I'd suggest giving the audiobook a try. It makes things 10x better!!

I wondered if sometimes the difference between a psychopath in Broadmoor and a psychopath on Wall Street was the luck of being born into a stable, rich family. 

This and many such quotes will leave you pondering a lot of your beliefs and that I consider a sign of a good read!

Jeannette Ordas

Years ago I heard Ronson on This American Life and since then have always been curious about this book. I'm glad I finally picked it up. It's humorous and well written and now has me the amazing power of being able to tell if someone is a psychopath (well, not really). Enjoyable.

Manish

The Sunday Times top-ten bestseller from the author of The Men Who Stare at Goats This is an utterly compelling and often unbelievable adventure into the world of madness. Jon Ronson meets everybody from a Broadmoor inmate who swears he faked a mental disorder to get a lighter sentence but is now stuck there to the influential psychologist who developed the industry standard Psychopath Test and who is convinced that many important CEOs and politicians are in fact psychopaths. Combining Jon's trademark humour, charm and investigative incision, The Psychopath Test is a deeply honest book unearthing dangerous truths and asking serious questions about how we define normality in a world where we are increasingly judged by our maddest edges.

Claire Knight

My review would be pretty much summed up perfectly by this one Dan wrote.

Read Dan's 3-star review of The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Emma Conarroe 

This was so interesting and I had to keep reminding myself that everything in this is real and actually happened. The Tony character is so interesting

Mary Baldwin

It's easy to like Jon Ronson. He writes in a very honest and balanced way on a subject that is actually pretty uncomfortable. This book follows the journey of the author through an exploration of psychopathy, a story that starts when he is approached by someone on the receiving end of a cryptic message sent in the mail. It charts a personal journey for Ronson as he learns more and more about the realms of psychopathy; its origins, evaluation and treatment. Along the way we meet people diagnosed with psychopathy, potentially undiagnosed psychopaths, psychiatrists, Scientologists, Bob Hare (The Creator of The Psychopath Checklist) as well as people involved in the crimes, lives and treatment of psychopaths. 
The book makes some uncomfortable points - could any one of us potentially be misdiagnosed as a Psychopath? Are there potentially dangerous undiagnosed psychopaths around us? You will question your definition of sanity, and are bound to take yourself through the checklist.
It's left me wanting to look further into the diagnosis of psychopathy - Ronson looks at some interesting and controversial cases of diagnoses in children; but as the author himself closes with, spotting Psychopaths is a dangerous business and you're likely to go a little mad yourself in the process.

Caitlin Snyder

The book was a little uneven. For a work ostensibly about a particular item, Ronson seemed to wander around the thing more than he wait straight at it. For example, I'm still not sure how the mysterious Being and Nothingness really played into the point. The last two chapters, however, get to the point. There are people with mental illnesses who need treatment and there are people who are diagnosed as mentally ill based on specious or questionable criteria. The prevalence of the latter group is just as bad for that group as they get "treated" in meaningless ways, while is it also bad for the former group who are overshadowed in their illness by people involuntarily playing the role of the mentally ill. Most troubling is that many of those who are creating the criteria are totally unreflective, defensive, and resistant to criticism. Ronson's writing is the polar opposite of that attitude: entirely reflective, unknowing, and because of its inexpertise, oddly approachable. There's probably no one better to have written this book.

Mircea Tara

A book that makes you paranoid and question your own sanity and the sanity of everybody else, pretty much. A quick, interesting and fun read. But don't worry if you don't feel the same about the book, like I do. I'm sure you too can pass the test.

Katie Holem

It wasn't what I expected to be about. I had bought it after a class when we talked about the Psychopath Test, so I thought it was going to be something along the lines of the history of the test, but it wasn't, it was more of an actual story than factual and it was kind of disappointing.

Amanda Wells

Here I am once again reading a book from my TBR shelf, with no memory of why I added it in the first place. This was to my benefit once again, as I enjoyed the book for what it was - a journalistic and seemingly accidently exploration of the development of the concept and category of 'psychopath'. 

I would have liked my insight into the referenced test's cultural biases, and I was uncomfortable with the matter-of-fact discussion of trans-v**. The latter is revealing of how quickly we've moved beyond such language in the past ten years perhaps. Now, although it would be factual to refer to it in the DSM and how it was discussed, it would be almost irresponsible to contextualise the use of such language and self-identification. 

Regardless I found the book to be engaging, and the author's tone of self-deprecation to be endearing rather than annoying. (It helps, I think, that Ronson is British and not American - but that's probably my own cultural bias as an Australian of British heritage showing). The book is a useful reminder that the categories we apply to people ought to be used lightly. No label fully describes the experience or expectations of all people to whom it applies, no matter how much time or heartache that would save.

Amanda J 

Quick read. Not sure how "academic" but enjoyable. Good beach read.

Magdalene Lim

We are the crazy people.

This is like Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" IRL. How do you tell if someone's a psychopath? There's a checklist for it. 

Once a crazy, always a crazy. Yes or no? With a rather high occurrence of repeat offenders, it seems that psychopaths should not be allowed back into society without being monitored. The scary question is: How many people are being misdiagnosed as a psychopath, and how many unidentified psychopaths do we have in society? 

A rough guide in identifying a psychopath: "somebody who doesn't understand what's going on emotionally, but understands that something important has happened", like when they see a parent who is holding their child who has just been knocked down by a car in their arms and does not understand the emotions the parent is going through. Another thing is "... when psychopaths see grotesque images of blown-apart faces, they aren't horrified. They're absorbed." #creepyfascinating!!

I enjoyed this book because of the glimpse it gives one into the fascinating world of psychopaths. Well, it's not all about psychopaths but I enjoyed the portions on it the most.

Another topic the author brings up is about over/misdiagnosing mental illnesses. "There are obviously a lot of very ill people out there. But there are also people in the middle, getting over labelled, becoming nothing more than a big splurge of madness in the minds of the people who benefit from it." I agree but I don't know what can be done about it either. Perhaps, raising awareness to prevent people from attributing every small (or perhaps not so small) habit/problem to a disorder that needs to be cured by drugs.

I reread this every few years. Always fun, fascinating, haunting.

amy jacobowitz

Lauren

Interesting read, especially as Ronson isn't a Psychologist, and the change in perspective can be somewhat enlightening. 

Because of this, the book is good as an introduction to Psychopathy and useful for debating differing perspectives on the matter- but less useful if you're more interested in the more scientific aspect.

Elena &
The Psychopath Test by Ronson, Jon

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